Getting Mazy to drink

otto

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Mazy is my FLUTD kitty. She is on prescription food, Hill's prescription c/d multicare. She likes the kibble just fine, but will not eat the canned food.

The problem is, she is not a good drinker. She hardly drinks at all, and I am very frustrated by this.

She won't eat the kibble with water added. Previously I was using a tiny amount of other canned food to make a gravy, and this was working, but the other food was interfering with the c/d keeping her urine pH down. (prescription food is designed to work best when being the only food fed)

She seems to like to lick water off flat surfaces, so I put some water in a cake pan, just enough to not quite cover the bottom. She didn't care.

She won't drink out of the bathroom sink, and until the stainless steel fountain comes out I won't try a fountain.

In another forum someone suggested I try using a rabbit water bottle for her! I got very excited about that idea, especially after I found out there are glass bottles available.

So I have ordered a couple of glass rabbit water bottles for Mazy cat. They haven't come yet, so I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to mount them, but I am hopeful that this may do the trick.

Mazy is quirky and I think licking a little ball to get water may appeal to her. She is very smart, so I know it won't take her long to understand how to use them.

I have all paws crossed that this is going to be the answer for her!

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sweetseamus

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Hi! My cat recently started a prescription diet for urinary problems as well. He gets Royal Canin SO, however, not Hills. I'm lucky that so far he seems to like both the wet and dry. Perhaps you can talk to your vet about trying your kitty on a different brand of wet food to see if she likes another one better? I know there are a few UTI prescription diets on the market. Also, one of my relatives has a UTI prone kitty who refused to eat the canned prescription food, although he did take to the dry. In that case the vet said that regular store bought canned was fine in conjunction with the prescription kibble since any wet food was better than no wet food. So far so good, and he has been UTI free for a couple of years now.

As for water, my cats do have a fountain, and I've also placed bowls at various places around the house. If I'm not mistaken, I think Petmate has a stainless steel fountain now that you may want to look at. In any event, placing multiple drinking stations around your home may encourage her to drink more. I've noticed that my cats have started drinking more since I have done this. Anyway, good luck and for you and your Mazy!
 

strange_wings

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I suppose you're worried about sanitizing any dishes in your home? Since all the fountains are made of plastic, you could look into make your own with glass or stainless and a fish pump. Other users on here have made their own fountains.
 
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otto

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Thank you very much for your reply! I was giving Mazy some canned food, a very small amount mixed with water, to get about 8 oz of water a day into her.

However her routine urinalysis showed that adding the other food was interfering, she was still having a higher than ideal pH and forming struvite and phosphate crystals, so back to nothing but the c/d kibble.

My vet has offered to write a prescription for one of the other foods. Perhaps I will try that as a last resort. On the royal canin website I read that they did not recommend using both the canned and dry s/o, it should be one or the other. I don't understand why that is, as they are both the prescription s/o.

I have not seen the stainless steel fountain by petmate, I'll have to do a search for it. Up until now I have not seen anything but plastic fountains.

I have other issues with fountains though, as I am very sensitive to noise and fear the motor noise will drive me insane. And I also have a sensitivity to the sound of trickling water. It makes me HURT (I have fibromyalgia and the sound of fish tanks or fountains makes my cringe with pain)

The other fountain problem is the maintenance of it. I have terrible arthritis in my hands and taking the thing apart and putting it back together on a weekly basis may be more than I can manage.

but if the rabbit water bottles don't work....the stainless steel fountain is next on the list to try!


I just told Mazy she better like those rabbit water bottles Or Else. She said "prrt?" in that sweet innocent way she has!

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otto

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

I suppose you're worried about sanitizing any dishes in your home? Since all the fountains are made of plastic, you could look into make your own with glass or stainless and a fish pump. Other users on here have made their own fountains.
Hi! thank you for your reply. No I wasn't concerned about sanitation, with regards to plastic. I just don't like my cats to eat or drink from plastic. I feel you just don't know what is leaching out of that stuff!

The 'make your own' with a fish pump is an interesting idea though, I'll have to see if I can find some of those other threads. If you can think of any, off hand, please share the link to it?

There seem to be many creative people in this forum and I am enjoying all the new ideas

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sweetseamus

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Apparently the Petmate fountain I was thinking about is only partly stainless steel. Here's a link: http://www.americas-pet-store.com/de...odid/1638.html

Anyway, I will say that I've found my fountain to be pretty quiet, but I definitely understand your concerns and maybe trying to make your own would be a better option if it comes down to it.

Wow, that's interesting about Royal Canin not recommending feeding both wet and dry SO. My vet didn't seem to feel it was an issue. I'll have to look into it. Like anything else, though, probably to a degree it depends on the individual cat.

Let us know how things work out with the rabbit water bottles. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
 
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otto

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Thanks for the link! Looks like just the trim was stainless steel. It also states that this fountain has been discontinued and no longer available. Must not have been a good seller.

Thanks for your support and positive comments!

(PS, I am signed up at the animal rescue site and freekibble.com for daily reminder e mails, to click. I mentuon it because people may not realize they can sign up for those automatic e mails, this way I never forget to go in and do my daily clicks!)

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strange_wings

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Originally Posted by otto

Hi! thank you for your reply. No I wasn't concerned about sanitation, with regards to plastic. I just don't like my cats to eat or drink from plastic. I feel you just don't know what is leaching out of that stuff!
As long as it's food grade quality it should be safe, and beyond that a lot of chemicals that do leech out (of non safe plastics) are much more likely to do so when heated.

If you're concerned about the quality of plastics used in the petmate fountains I bet you could email them - though I can't guarantee you'll get anything other than a standard vague business type response claiming all of their products are tested and safe.
Honestly, there's more chemicals and other things in water already...


I looked and can't find the links to the DIY fountains that a couple people have made... I could have sworn Arlyn made one.


If you liked the stainless fountain, I bet you could find it on ebay.
You could also discuss fountains with your vet, if you trust them.
 
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otto

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

As long as it's food grade quality it should be safe, and beyond that a lot of chemicals that do leech out (of non safe plastics) are much more likely to do so when heated.

If you're concerned about the quality of plastics used in the petmate fountains I bet you could email them - though I can't guarantee you'll get anything other than a standard vague business type response claiming all of their products are tested and safe.
Honestly, there's more chemicals and other things in water already...


I looked and can't find the links to the DIY fountains that a couple people have made... I could have sworn Arlyn made one.


If you liked the stainless fountain, I bet you could find it on ebay.
You could also discuss fountains with your vet, if you trust them.
Well, not in my water...it's well water, no chemicals!
I just don't like plastic, just one of my "things" I guess you could say.


The drinkwell stainless steel 360 has not yet been released. Late September or October, they said.

My vet and I have talked fountains a couple of times. She is very interested in hearing how the rabbit water bottle method works out.

I am telling Mazy about it frequently. She says "prrt?"

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strange_wings

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I bet it won't be cheap, so that gives you a couple months to save up!



I don't know about a water bottle, honestly. I think if a cat was trained to use one, maybe, but I can't picture any of mine doing so. Tomas would rub on it and maybe figure out he could make a mess by pawing at it, the other three wouldn't even notice it. (I have rather oblivious cats)


As for well water, it's not perfect. It can still have harmful things leech into it, so that needs to be checked every so often.
Depending on area well water may be hard water, too. I know it is around here.

Good luck in your... cat watering? ventures.
 
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otto

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

I bet it won't be cheap, so that gives you a couple months to save up!



I don't know about a water bottle, honestly. I think if a cat was trained to use one, maybe, but I can't picture any of mine doing so. Tomas would rub on it and maybe figure out he could make a mess by pawing at it, the other three wouldn't even notice it. (I have rather oblivious cats)


As for well water, it's not perfect. It can still have harmful things leech into it, so that needs to be checked every so often.
Depending on area well water may be hard water, too. I know it is around here.

Good luck in your... cat watering? ventures.
Thanks for your reply!

Drinkwell did say that the stainless steel 360 may run around $100. That's cheaper than frequent vet visits for trouble!

My well water is hard. that's another reason I am reluctant to use fountains. the scale will be difficult to remove, I've heard. I could use purified or distilled water I guess. but doing that...cost would quickly become an issue!


Mazy is a Very Smart Cat, I think she will not have any trouble learning to use the Rabbit water bottles. If she decides to play with them too, that's okay, I plan to keep bowls underneath to catch drips. She has.....different...unique.... ways of approaching things in her life, so I am thinking the bottles may appeal to her sense of idiosyncrasy!


Originally Posted by cloud_shade

Here's a link to making your own fountain out of a Whisper fish tank filter and a glass bowl: http://www.tntpuff.com/cat_water_fountain.htm
thanks for this link! that is a very ingenious creation! I have bookmarked it, just in case.

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